Ikarishipping Story: Light and Dark
by Im-A-Horror-Freak
Summary: I know, I suck for starting another story xD But this idea has been floating in my mind for awhile, and I wanna give it a shot. So, three islands, representing a status of hope. When one is threatened, young Princess Hikari must undero precautions involving some underlying emotion she never thought she had. Slight Pearlshipping in the beginning, sorry folks :/
1. Chapter 1

**Ikarishipping Story: Light and Dark**

Chapter 1

Her duty as Princess of the Island of Newfound Hope was to keep her people safe. Not only was it her duty, but it was just who she was. Philanthropy was her philosophy of life, perseverance, everything really. She would not gain a wink of sleep without knowing that the people who slept in the town below the castle were warm and cozy in their beds. Thankfully, she retrieved a full eight to nine hours of rest the past night, but now, she was feeling a tad anxious. The words her mother had spoken to her the night before still ran through her mind, clear as day:

"_We must speak tomorrow."_

The fear she had seen in her mother's eyes was not discreet, rather, too overt for her liking. Sighing she glanced at the mirror, eying over her outfit of choice. It was an egg white side strap dress with no gaudy features. 'Tis plain and simple; that was the way her life wanted to live. Her blue hair flowed casually down her back, the childish bangs she once had now long and shaped to compliment her comely face. She wrinkled her nose at her reflection and adjusted her radiant blue eyes to the floor, impatience beginning to stir within them.

As she was about to stomp out of her dormitory and find her mother herself, the creaking of her door resonated throughout the vicinity, and soon enough, her mother's face peeked over the edge. The Princess had turned at this point, not missing an elegant step, and felt her heart drop at the sight of her mother. Black bags hung uncomfortably under her deep cerulean eyes, she walked with blatant lethargy, and her face had fallen into exhaustion and disbelief. However, with her aesthetic lacked in class, the golden crown that signified her position as Queen was placed delicately on top of her thick bob haircut.

The Princess bowed in respect as her mother inched closer to her.

"I wish to speak to you, Princess." The mellifluous voice spoke.

Throwing her hands into the air, the Princess exclaimed, "obviously!"

The Queen had stopped walking, making Princess Hikari postulate that she was hesitating to say something; something important. Usually when this behavior occurred in her mother, a price had to be paid; at Hikari's expense.

"…I'll just be honest," the Queen had begun, yet never finished.

Impatience being Hikari's omnipresent value, she stepped toward her mother and yelled, "SPEAK MOTHER!"

"Our island is in danger as we speak!"

Hikari flinched back, a gasp involuntarily escaping from her throat. Embarrassed, she covered her mouth, her eyes dilating to a great size. The Queen closed her eyes and walked toward the window as her daughter assimilated the news. These were HER people they were talking about. The people she vowed to protect since she was twelve years old…they were all in danger. She nervously began to pace, fiddling with the end of her white dress. The faster her pace became, the more ideas of doom came into her mind. Yet, for every problem she thought of, she devised a solution.

"Hikari…I know this is sudden, but—"

"How is this possible?" Hikari fervidly interrupted her mother, "our island has never been in economic danger!"

Hikari had only said that because she was praying to Arceus that the problem was just that; it was the least perilous of them all, believe it or not. Fundraisers were status quo on the island, and her people were beyond eleemosynary, so they were always a success. Natural resources were abundant, Pokémon could help with the physical labor, and she knew a great deal of politics for a sixteen-year old.

Her heart dropped when her mother shook her head at the proposition.

"It is not economic danger we're in, dear. It's…much more dangerous, I'm afraid."

"_No…" _Hikari instantaneously thought. "What…what is it, mother…my people…"

"We've been threatened by the Island of Lost Hope."

The Princess' head snapped up, her eyes having dilated once more; hearing that cold-hearted island's name uttered made her face ruddy with anger. The Queen recognized this, and stepped forward to touch her daughter's shoulder.

"Darling, I know how you feel…"

"…The Island of Lost Hope has threatened us?" The Princess digressed, not looking away from the window.

"Yes."

"I see…under what grounds?"

"I'm afraid no details have emerged on that area."

"Do they tell us _why _they threaten us?"

"No. The King refuses to tell us why—"

The Princess, incensed, stomped her foot, making her mother violently flinch. "Then how are we supposed to resolve the issue? The King has not insinuated the gratitude of the attack, nor does he insist on explaining why he attacks. This is complete and utter mayhem!"

"The King refuses to—"

"He is a STUPID king! How could a whole island choose an eighteen-year old tyrant to rule them?"

With no hesitation, the Queen firmly grasped the Princess' shoulders, hoping to calm her down. Facing a teary-eyed Hikari, the Queen maturely stated, "I know how angry you are at that island for its choices. Believe me, I feel the same way; but we need to handle this situation like civilized people—"

"But they killed Father!"

"BE QUIET HIKARI!"

Swiftly shutting her mouth, she looked down at the ground, refusing to let the tears fall.

"…I've called for a meeting between us, the Island of Lost Hope's King, and the island of Abundant Hope's King." The Queen gently explained, "And I want you to be there; but don't lose your head, otherwise…the King will do bad things to our island."

Hikari simply couldn't comprehend as to why her mother asked for her presence at this meeting. Of course she was going to lose her head; she was going to be face to face with the most corrupt, unethical man in the whole region. It's not like her mother wanted her to speak at this meeting anyway, so what was the point? Hikari knew about governmental infrastructure; but then again, she's never put it to use before.

"…When does this meeting take place?" Hikari asked, trembling.

"It will take place at two o' clock this afternoon."

"…I shall be there after my daily ride."

The Queen kissed her daughter's forehead and bid her good day. When she was out of sight, Hikari found herself gazing out the window once more. The lush green plains the Ponyta, Rapidash and Tauros would run through shook gently with the tranquilizing breeze. The pellucid lake she swam in as a child still sat there, all types of water Pokemon resting on top or adventuring below. Behind the plains and lake lay the dark green forest abound with Pokemon of all types. At night, Hikari recalled, the land was most beautiful.

All this gorgeous landscape was now in danger because of a brainless King's decision.

Walking over to her closet, she thought angry thoughts to herself.

"_Would any person be so heartless as to vacuously threaten a helpless island?"_

She began to sift through her collection of heterogeneous clothing, mostly dresses. If she were to just see the King, she'd show up in armor so they could fight to the death. She shook off the tears as she pulled out a sapphire dress with light gold trimming. Gently, she laid it on the bed, and stared at it.

"_Like hell if I care about how I look in front of this royal ass." _She maliciously thought to herself.

Standing up straight, fists clenched, she walked out the door, her destination: the stables.

* * *

Whenever in a time of grief, Hikari would always go to the stables, and talk to the Rapidash; for some reason, she believed they listened to her. In reality, she just need someone to talk to, for no one else would listen.

She walked up to her personal Rapidash, and it neighed in glee at the sight of her. Smiling, she opened the stall and stroked the Pokemon's silky coat. The Rapidash neighed again as Hikari retrieved her leather bridle and slipped it over its head. Easily pulling herself onto the beast's back, she commanded it forward, and let out a deep sigh.

As Rapidash leisurely walked, Hikari absorbed the peaceful atmosphere, its sights, and its sounds. Chimechos chimed in the forest along with some mirthful Seedot. Bunearys hopped along with Lopunnys, followed by some Bellossom. Goldeen, Seaking, Horsea and Cloister swam with one another in the lake. So many happy Pokemon made the Island of Newfound Hope their home; and she was glad about that.

What type of Pokemon lingered on the Island of Abundant Hope? Well, of course there were Pikachu, some Wynaut, Rhyhorn, Charizard; strong but lovable Pokemon. It was no surprise to her, because the Island's King, Satoshi, was both strong and lovable. She had always been fond of Satoshi's will and tenaciously persistent attitude. At the time of her father's death, the king did all he could to help the island financially and spiritually. No matter what happened, each island had one another's back.

Satoshi had shown an affection of Hikari before, but not the same as hers. She could tell he was looking for a strong Queen such as herself; beautiful as well. She has negotiated the idea before, but she just wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. She was only sixteen years old anyway.

As for the Island of Lost Hope, there were tough, surly Pokemon living there; and that was the way Shinji liked it. Mightyena, Absol, Salamence, Tyrannitar, Houndoom, Typhlosion…they were harsh Pokemon of all sorts. Of course, every Pokemon is capable of being gentle, but the atmosphere these poor creatures are in doesn't exactly facilitate with that concept of kind-heartedness. She had heard that his collection of personal Pokemon weren't exactly lovely either; but they were strong…very strong. King Shinji could beat any Pokemon he wished. Every trainer he's beat, he would make them his servant for life. She has never met him face to face, but she was glad he was going to. He was probably just as ugly and repulsing as the deeds he has done to people and Pokemon alike.

At that moment, Hikari tried not to think of the meeting, but rather, think of peaceful thoughts.

It worked instantly.

* * *

A soft knock is heard on the door, followed by a whisper: "Hikari?"

Hikari had just finished adjusting her dress. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother standing in the doorway, smiling.

"You look lovely."

"Thanks." The Princess sharply replied.

"…Are you ready?"

"Almost." The Princess replied in the same tone as before.

"Hikari, don't be short with me. This may be the one chance to repeal the threat, you need to be on your best behavior. I'm begging you."

Hikari knew her mother was right. It was times like these she needed to push away her stubbornness and look at what was better for the people. She loved her people, she truly did, but she was also very overprotective of them. While she longed to be rid of this threat, she also did not want her people to be in the same atmosphere as King Shinji.

She sighed, pulling her hair back with a golden bow, letting her bangs fall.

"Fine, mother. Let us go."

How badly she wanted to make that king suffer for what he's done to the little family he's had left. She knew she couldn't though, for her mother, and her people's safety.

For once, she'd keep her mouth shut, and let the adults handle it.

Well, some of it, anyway.

Her mother led the way to the meeting room, and when she opened the double doors, there was a familiar face; her good ol' friend Satoshi.

"Princess Hikari." He greeted, rising to his feet, "you look radishing…I MEAN RAVISHING! You look…you look ravishing." He scratched the back of his head, sporting that toothy grin of his.

She giggled lightly. "Thank you, King Satoshi."

He then bent down and kissed the top of her hand, making her blush slightly. Feeling awkward, she made her way over to the seat next to her mother. Satoshi had settled himself across from the two powerful women with his sage of a mother.

A loud bang suddenly burst throughout the room as a dark figure stood in the doorway; an unsettling feeling fell upon everyone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ikarishipping Story: Light and Dark**

Chapter 2

All four people in chairs turned their heads to gaze upon the recluse king. While each island had made a pact long ago to keep in constant touch, King Shinji refused to do so. Upon his entrance, everyone stood up in respect, or perhaps, to compare height. The dark King was well over six feet, thus making everyone, specifically Satoshi, feel uncomfortable about their mediocre stature. Shinji's eyes were closed as he strode over to his seat; how he found it, none of them had a clue.

He sported black cargo pants, a tight black tank top, and a flowing dark purple cape. As he crossed his arms, all the eyes dilated at the size of his biceps in both surprise and fear. He crossed his long legs, still keeping his eyes closed.

At that moment, Hikari denied every single threat she made against King Shinji of the Island of Lost Hope. He could break her neck in a second if he wanted to; and something told her it wouldn't take much to get him aggravated.

"Can we please get this over with?" The man spoke, resting his head in his hand, his eyes still closed. His voice was very low and rough, it made Hikari's skin crawl.

The Queen cleared her throat, attracting the attention of everyone. "Yes, well, umm…my people have ordered this meeting to ask you, King Shinji—"

He yawned, very loudly. The Queen snapped her neck over to the young man and pierced him with a firm look; however, it didn't prove to be helpful. Hikari had followed suit, whereas Satoshi looked ready to burst out laughing.

"…To get right to the point…why do you threaten my people?" The Queen asked.

Shinji sat back in his chair, looking a bit too relaxed. Then, he opened his eyes; they were cold, remorseless black orbs that could break lead in two with just one stare. No one dared to look straight into his eyes.

"I told you," he began, "the reason behind my threat is to remain anonymous."

No one replied to his statement, simply because there was nothing to say. Therefore, the group settled into an awkward silence. Hikari looked down at her thumbs, glancing at King Shinji every now and then.

He truly was a frightening sight to behold. She couldn't even imagine what sort of torture he had put her father through…

The Queen broke the silence with a defiant tone. "We must know, so then we can have a _peaceful _negotiation about it, then we'll never bother you, or your island anymore."

The Queen could not emphasize the term "peaceful" enough. She knew the way to a healthy agreement was to limit the hostility and endorse the appeasement. Sure, this was going to be a challenge, but she would stick to her methods no matter what. However, she had never been dealing with a situation involving personal emotion, so only Arceus knew how it'd settle out.

The King's eyes then shifted to the two women, specifically Hikari for one moment, whom kept strangely quiet. She could feel the iciness of his stare, but she was too afraid to look up. Her mother wasn't, however; she stared right at him, hoping to break him soon. The staring contest went on for awhile as Satoshi began twiddling with his thumbs and his father awkwardly looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't respect you demanding me to tell all you stupid people about my threat." King Shinji finally spoke up.

"But they must know! Why do you refuse to tell us? You're being completely unethical, sir!" Satoshi insisted, raising his voice.

Shinji did not acknowledge Satoshi's rational comment regarding the situation, but instead, kept a close eye on the two ruling women of the Island of Newfound Hope. It was a little eerie, but considering it was their island that he was threatening, it was reasonable.

"So since you still refuse to tell us why you threaten us, are you telling me this meeting was absolutely useless?" The Queen brought up, crossing her arms.

"…Yes." The King simply replied.

The Queen's jaw dropped. "Then why did you agree to it?"

"It was fun…while it lasted."

"Fun? You think this is just some game? We're talking about people's lives here, King Shinji!" The Queen was starting to become angrier than usual.

"I haven't had fun like this in awhile, so, yes…it is a big game. A big, _fun _game."

The Queen was shaking. "I will not let you endanger my people for your sick thrills."

The King's shoulders bounced with a low laugh. "Sick thrills? You're mistaken, Queen."

"Mistaken? What?"

"As much as you'd like to believe that I am a sick man, I really am not. I just get bored, that's all."

"So when you get bored, you endanger innocent people's lives?"

"If I'm up for it."

Hikari couldn't take it anymore. With her new fears behind her, she looked straight at the man who killed her father and shouted:

"TELL US WHY! STOP BEING A STUBBORN MORON AND JUST TELL US!"

Everyone gasped at her gesture, except for Shinji of course. He just closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Hikari…out." Her mother whispered.

Hikari sent a glare toward Shinji before making a hasty exit. Satoshi rose to his feet and offered to go console her, but the Queen told him to leave her alone; Shinji had opened one eye at this.

"How dare he play with my mother's head like that! How dare he!" Hikari angrily whispered to herself as she made her way back to her dormitory.

* * *

"I apologize for my daughter's behavior…it's not like her." The Queen said to King Shinji immediately after the Princess's departure. Satoshi scoffed, making the Queen send him a dirty look. Throwing his hands up into the air with that trademark grin, he glanced at King Shinji, seeing that he was staring at the door.

The Queen rolled her eyes at Satoshi's childish gesture and returned her attention to King Shinji.

"YOUR DAUGHTER simply needs to learn and act like royalty." Shinji coldly stated, still looking at the door.

"And you do?" Satoshi instigated.

"King Satoshi…" The Queen consoled.

Satoshi's mother grasped his shoulder, quietly admonishing him. He crossed his arms, awaiting Shinji's next move.

"It seems as though you don't either." Shinji said, not even looking at Satoshi.

"Are you kidding me? I'm the greatest king ever! I actually _like _people!"

"Don't flatter yourself, little boy."

Satoshi rose to his feet. "LITTLE?"

"All right, Satoshi," the Queen interrupted, "why don't you go find Hikari and…console her. You'd be more helpful there than you're being here."

Satoshi nodded towards the Queen, and glared at Shinji as he spoke, "with pleasure."

Satoshi strode out of the room, and as he did so, Shinji glared at him with all the hatred in the world. No one noticed him doing so, nor would anybody understand why.

* * *

"Hikari!" Satoshi called out, "Hikari!"

He rounded the corner to where her quarters were, found the door, and lightly tapped on it. When she opened the door, her eyes were red and puffy.

"Oh gosh, Hikari are you okay?" He asked, letting himself in.

She quickly turned around and sat on her bed, wiping away any loose tears.

"He isn't exactly…pleasant." Satoshi remarked, sitting beside her on her bed.

"Not at all." She replied, reaching for her millionth tissue.

"What could he possibly want from this island? It's all cheery and lively, while he's, uh…"

"Revolting? Cold-hearted? Sardonic?" She suggested, verklempt.

"Well, I was gonna say a meanie."

She smiled at the ground. "That works too."

As she threw the tissue into a nearby trash bin, she felt his hand grip her shoulder. Slowly, she looked up into his brown eyes, and saw a fire burning; a passionate fire.

"He just saw my mother as an imbecile. It was embarrassing for both her and me, especially since he's responsible for my father's death. I mean, could there really be cruel people like that in this world? I always figured that if one was nice to you, you'd be nice to them…how ignorant does that sound?" She giggled a little, making him smirk.

"I want to punch him in the throat as much as you do right now, believe me. But Hikari, we need to settle this out like kings and queens. Remember, he's threatening you're people. You need to be precarious in these types of situations. If you're going to be a queen, you need to be stubborn but at the same time, you have to be understanding and calm, y'know?"

"Yeah…I like being obstreperous and tenacious though."

Satoshi laughed. "Yeah, that's just who you are I suppose."

She smiled at him and looked down at the ground again. "No point in crying over it anymore I suppose…I'm gonna have to see his vile face again."

"Yeah…hey Hikari…"

"Hmm?"

"…You might not like hearing this, but I like you a lot. You would be the greatest Queen to ever rule an island. You've got it in your blood after all."

Hikari rolled her eyes. "King Meanie won't agree with that."

"Hey," he grasped her hand, "don't listen to that idiot. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Me, your mother, and my mother know what a great person you are."

She grinned. "Thanks Satoshi…you always know what to say."

He smiled at her and tightened his grip on her hand as she looked down at the ground, thinking.

_What could Shinji want from this island? Why THIS island?_

"Hikari?"

She looked up. "Yes?"

He cupped her chin and conjoined their lips together. Her eyes widened as he did so, and she found herself respond a little, but she quickly pulled away. He continued to look at her as she turned away from him.

"Hikari, please. Be my Queen, and we can rule side by side, together." Satoshi said.

Slowly, Hikari looked up at him, pushing her hair out of her face. "…Friends."

Satoshi was taken aback from her comment. "Hikari, I'm being serious here; dead serious."

"I am too." Hikari responded.

The look in Satoshi's eyes resembled heartbreak, but at that moment, there was just too much to think about. She couldn't even think straight after the whole dilemma in the meeting room.

"I have a lot more to worry about than my personal future. My people are in danger right now, Satoshi. I can't simply pack up and leave them high and dry. I can't leave my mother here alone either…who knows what that royal ass will do to her? While I appreciate the offer, I just can't."

He nodded. "That is true. But please, think about it. I'll always be here, and I definitely won't say no."

"…Good day, Satoshi." She firmly stated, not appreciating his tone.

He got up, taking one last look at her, then quickly left the room. He didn't want to upset her anymore; she'd been through enough.

As soon as he left, Hikari nearly vomited. She couldn't believe the nerve of Satoshi. She just witnessed the ultimate subjection of her mother by her father's murderer. No matter how cliché it sounded, it hurt more than anyone could imagine. Her mother was a strong, dominant woman, and after the tragedy, she became even stronger. Hikari looked up to her mother, and to see her embarrassed like that infuriated her. To add to it, there proved to be no purpose to the meeting, for Shinji still refused to speak of his intentions or why he is doing so.

Then, Satoshi _proposes? _

"_The nerve!" _Hikari thought to herself.

Her thoughts then drifted to Shinji.

Oh, what nerve he had too! But he was so…scary. It hurt to look directly at him, for every memory of her father became present in her mind; his smile, his laugh, and his unconditional love. It was at that moment, Hikari mentally declared war on this tyrant, and she would not rest until his methods were put to rest.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the meeting room, the debate continued on between the Queen and King Shinji while Satoshi's mother sat quietly, observing.

"Please King Shinji, we MUST know!" The Queen continued to press.

"Pleading won't do it, Queen. Perhaps you should try a new tactic. This was humorous at first, but now you're just a growing irritation." He responded.

She frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm just suggesting maybe if you want to get me to talk, perhaps you should think of a new method."

"Such as…?"

"Surprise me."

She sat back and thought for a bit as a smirk started to grow on his face.

"Perhaps a deal can be made?" She suddenly said, sitting back up.

"Whoa there, Queen. Don't get ahead of yourself now." Shinji probed, sitting up as well.

"While I disregard your immature diction, I must respect you for your status."

"So, in other words, you don't like me, but you have to like me because 'king' is in my title name?"

"Basically, yes."

He grunted, and closed his eyes. "I like your idea though."

"Oh? Well, what type of deal were you looking for?"

He suddenly frowned. "I made a deal with your husband, but he refused. If I offer the same thing, will you reject it?"

"Well, with all due respect King Shinji, it depends on what the offer is." The Queen replied, folding her hands together on the table.

"Tell me something, Queen…" Shinji suddenly began, copying her pose.

"Hmm?"

"Did you love your husband?"

Satoshi's mother tried to control her gasp as she looked over at the Queen; she had a stolid countenance, not wanting to give in to his little mind games.

"Yes, I loved him very much. He was a good man."

"Ah, I see." Shinji replied, "What limits would you go to in order to have him in your arms again?"

The Queen remained silent as Shinji leaned forward.

"Your silence is enough of an answer for me, your highness." He said, rising to his feet.

"You're departing?" Satoshi's mother asked.

"You still haven't answered my _question, _sir." The Queen brought up, making Shinji stop and look at her.

"I think you'll have an idea soon." He said, his eyes boring into her soul.

"I'm assuming you're suggesting another meeting date."

"Highness, I have a feeling we'll see each other again soon."

"I am beyond delighted."

Shinji smirked as he walked past her, his cape brushing against her skin.

It instantly turned her anger into fear.

* * *

That night, Shinji flew upon his Honchkrow to a certain island…where a certain person was.

The fun was about to begin; the deed was to be fulfilled.

* * *

Hikari awakened to the sounds of banging on her door. Quickly, she jumped out of bed and opened them to see her mother in a state of unmatched panic.

"Mother!" Hikari exclaimed, embracing her.

"Oh Hikari it's awful! Awful!"

"What's awful?"

"Hurry, get dressed! Hurry, Hikari!"

She obeyed her mother and put on her common white dress with a pair of matching flat sandals. She lazily put her hair in a ponytail as she followed her mother. Hikari was frightened about the gratitude of what happened, for her mother hadn't cried this much since they had found out about…

"Come on Hikari!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and ran to catch up with her mother. They soon caught sight of the stables, but it wasn't calm like it usually is; it was heavily populated. Hikari had to push herself into the crowd to keep up with her mother until they faced one stall.

Her Rapidash's stall. Only, her Rapidash wasn't in the stall, but rather, the lifeless body of the King of The Island of Abundant Hope: Satoshi.

"SA-SATOSHI?" Hikari screamed out, covering her mouth.

There were knife wounds all over his torso, his death most likely caused from bleeding out. His mouth was agape, blood trickling out of it; his hazel eyes lay open, yet they had no sparkle in them. The sight of his quirky grin came into Hikari's mind, as well as his awkward laugh. The tears flowed out of her eyes as she collapsed to her knees, sobbing:

"_Why, why, why…"_

"Have you found anything yet?" A policeman asked another one of his fellow men.

"Nothing yet. No fingerprints, no weapon, not even the Rapidash." He replied with no hope in his tone.

"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" Hikari finally cried out to her mother.

"The police don't know yet…" The Queen replied, stooping down to her daughter's level.

"Well _obviously _he was murdered! Who would do such a thing?"

As Hikari asked that, a voice yelled out: "WE FOUND THE RAPIDASH!"

Both women looked up to see Hikari's Rapidash in good condition. However, seeing Hikari completely distraught and Satoshi's dead body in its stall made it neigh in discontent and confusion.

The rookie who had found it hurried over to the head detective, whispering in his ear: "I found a note attached to its halter, sir. We should take it back to forensics for fingerprints."

"Ay, good work my boy. For now, let us read it and see if we get any leads." The detective replied, opening the finely folded piece of parchment.

The Queen overheard this conversation, and walked over, asking to read it as well.

In neat handwriting, the note read:

_While you've had time to grieve, the Island of Abundant Hope has been taken over. All the Pokemon are slaves, as well as the trainers. That pathetic loser's mother is dead as well, but I didn't want to sadden you all too much, now would I? There's no use in trying to arrest me, highness…for I am a king, as you pointed out yesterday. _

_I know I have yet to inform you of my intentions, but what fun is that?_

_I'm simply annihilating the enemy until I can finally take what I want._


	3. Chapter 3

**Ikarishipping Story: Light and Dark**

Chapter 3

Months have gone by since the brutal homicide of the brilliant, courageous king of the Island of Abundant Hope, as well as his mother. Since then, a great pall had overcome the Island of Newfound Hope. At the moment, it seemed ridiculous to refer to these two islands with "hope" in the titles, considering all hope had been, well…lost. All the people of the Island of Newfound Hope lived in fear, for they believed that they were next to be usurped by the evildoer known as King Shinji.

Young Hikari wasn't willing to give up so easily though. Despite the fact she detested Shinji's methods of negotiation, even more as an individual, she was willing to go up against it with all of the fury in her soul; for her father, and two beloved friends of hers and her mother's. If this meant she had to go to his island by herself with no protection, she would do so. Hikari was known to be a lot of talk though, so her mother immediately dismissed her ranting often seen at dinner, and focused on bringing in a militia to fight and protect the people.

After months of preparation, the young men of the Island of Newfound Hope were lined up before the castle. They were dressed in dark black jackets with golden buttons and scarves, and white dress shirts with matching navy blue pants. With this military attire they sported the traditional black combat boots which they majestically marched in for days, and will continue to march in the battles to come. Behind these men were the rest of the population, screaming and whooping at the arrival of protection. There was a marching band playing happy tunes as confetti danced through the air in an iridescent array. After a few minutes of cheering, the Queen and Princess walked onto the balcony wearing beautiful golden dresses. The Queen gesticulated for the band to quiet down as well as the people, and looked straight down at the men.

"Men, you were selected to be the most eligible for this job," the Queen began, "because of your strength, your tenacity, and your will. Recently, our island has been threatened for no given reason…just for the enjoyment of King Shinji. I believe that this threat was nothing more than a distraction to commandeer the Island of Abundant Hope, as well as to mercilessly murder their king and matriarch."

All the people went silent for a moment, in reverence of the innocent lives that had been taken. Hikari especially quieted herself, for in Satoshi's last moments, she rejected his affection because she was only thinking of herself. If she had agreed, Satoshi probably would've stayed there, and he wouldn't have gone back to his island, and then he wouldn't have been…

"We cannot bring back the dead, but we can certainly fight for their justice." The Queen said, breaking the silence. "So remember that when you're protecting us, it's not just for your people, but for two great people who didn't deserve the turmoil they went through. Good luck, and always be on guard. Thank you."

The crowd screamed in excitement as the militia saluted the Queen, simultaneously turned around, and marched off. One soldier in the crowd looked up at the Queen and the Princess out of the corner of his eye, smiling as the Princess smiled down at them.

The smile on Hikari's face quickly dissipated as she walked back to her dormitory. As she sat on her bed, she imagined Satoshi being right next to her, cupping her chin oh so gently. She touched her finger to her chin, and closed her eyes, remembering when Satoshi lightly kissed her lips, with all the care in the world. It was then she began to feel the tears in her eyes again; it was a feeling that was becoming too familiar.

When she rose to her feet to fetch the seventh box of tissues that month, she heard a light knock on her door.

"Come in." She said in a small voice, quickly grabbing a tissue and dabbing her eyes so there were no remnants of tears.

As one would expect, it was her mother, checking in on her daughter. She felt this was necessary, considering Hikari had been more than depressed since Satoshi's untimely death. The Queen knew Satoshi was a close friend of Hikari's, and she also knew that Satoshi had great thoughts of Hikari, including being his Queen one day. So, naturally, Hikari must be feeling pretty down, and she wanted to be there as much as she could for her.

"Hikari, dear…" the Queen began, sitting next to her daughter. "How are you doing?"

The Princess smiled up at her mother. "The militia looks fantastic, mother. You've done a great job training and assembling them."

The Queen lightly laughed. "Well don't thank me, darling. Thank the sergeants and generals who whipped them into shape."

"Yeah…"

There was a small bit of silence before the Queen spoke up again.

"It probably didn't take much discipline to make those men want to become strong. I don't know a single person that didn't love your father, or Satoshi, or his mother for what they've done to help others."

The Princess didn't respond.

"I know you've been upset Hikari, and I have too. But just know that you can have some hope now, because now we've got a strong force that Shinji is going to have to deal with sooner or later."

"…I just wish I could've done more…to help out, y'know?" The Princess quietly said. "I feel like I've just been an accessory of yours…an obligatory object that you need to bring with you everywhere. I don't want to be that type of ruler, mother."

The Queen looked down at her daughter with a smile. "Hikari, you're definitely not an accessory." She placed her hand on Hikari's shoulder. "You're my ruling partner…you're all I've got left."

The Princess continued to look down at her feet, taking in her mother's words. "Then let me help you; don't think that I can't handle this because I'm a 'little girl'."

"You're not a little girl Hikari—"

"Then let me go up against that Shinji myself!" Hikari looked up at her mother with a fire in her eyes.

"You have to understand…we just can't invade his island; we need to strategize this."

"Why strategize? We can outsmart him! A pile of rocks is smarter than that that heap of evil!" Hikari argued.

"Hikari…he just outsmarted us a couple months ago. He threatened US, then he killed Satoshi and his mother. While it's evil, it's definitely a type of strategy. He may be the vilest man on earth, but Hikari, he's smart."

"He is not…"

The Queen sighed. "Well, we'll see what he does in response to this. I figure he won't be too thrilled…"

"Knowing him, he'll probably see it as a twist to his 'game'." The Princess commented.

"Let's hope not…"

"Mother…"

The Queen turned her attention to her daughter as she stood up, clenching her fists.

"…are you sure there isn't anything more I can do to assist?" she asked, that fire still in her eyes.

"…Hikari. I don't want you to get hurt…"

The Princess frowned, and turned around, looking out the window to see a bright sun and peaceful blue sky.

"…but I know that you're strong enough to handle anything."

Her eyes widened as she turned around to face her mother, the fire being replaced with a sparkle of hope. "You kid not, mother?"

"I kid you not, my dear. If something turns up, you will be the first to be alarmed."

The Queen walked over to her blue-haired beauty of a daughter, and took both of her hands.

"I promise you."

The mother and daughter stared into each other's eyes, their bond growing stronger with every passing second. It was these times like these that tested their relationship and how well they could work together to get through it unharmed. They always prevailed, no matter what the circumstance, and never managed to look any less gorgeous or calm.

"Hikari…I believe in this island's strength. I believe that we can overcome this recent setback, and I believe we can destroy Shinji's evil ambitions, whatever his reasoning behind it is, and finally get back to the peace this island thrives on." The Queen stated, squeezing her daughter's hand tighter.

The Princess squeezed back. "I believe so as well, mother. With our strength and perseveration, we can outwit Shinji and redeem Satoshi's death, his mother's, and father's."

"Nothing can stand in our way."

* * *

Shinji smirked at the Pokemon who dragged stones and other assortments before him, building statues of him and his Pokemon to establish the rulers of the island. The smirk quickly disappeared though as he began to contemplate on what to do next to throw the other puny island off guard as he did a few months back. He had received word from one of his slaves that the island had formed a militia of its own men.

He remembered how much he had laughed over that, since they fully believed a weak assortment of men would protect them against his devilish plans. It seemed the Queen and Princess wanted to entertain the young king with foolish attempts at bravery. Either way, it just made his plan so much easier than he originally thought out.

A grin slowly came onto his face as he rose from his chair, and saw that night was falling upon the three islands once again. He walked away from the overworked Pokemon who desperately needed aid and care, and went to fetch his beloved, wretched Pokemon.

* * *

Hikari sat on the chair in front of her vanity and brushed her long blue hair. Her mother told her they were going to have a private one-on-one dinner that night, which meant, in Hikari's mind, that her mother was going to tell her something very important. This could mean anything, so Hikari made sure to look very appropriate for the meal. After slipping on her favorite side-strap white dress and white flats, she was about to head out the door when she heard two knocks from the other side of it.

"Umm…hello?" She spoke out, confused.

"Yes, umm…Princess Hikari?"

"Yes, who is there?"

"Umm, it's a soldier from the militia…the Queen gave me permission to come speak to you."

Cautiously, Hikari opened the door, and saw the uniform that had been worn by the soldiers earlier that day. Still, Hikari was confused as to why a soldier was speaking to _her, _and not her mother.

"May I…help you?" She quietly asked, hiding slightly behind the door.

"Can I…come in?" He asked, gesturing his hand toward her room.

"I suppose…are you quite sure you were allowed permission here?" She asked, still incredulous over the situation at hand.

"Yes…my name is Kengo." He introduced himself as she closed the door behind him.

"Well, you already know who I am." Hikari said with a welcoming smile.

He smiled back at her.

"Why is it you must speak with me?" She asked.

He did not respond, for he just continued to stare at her with an indescribable expression. She squinted her eyes at him, beginning to feel more awkward by the second.

"Soldier?" She asked, waving her gloved hand in front of his face.

"Huh?" He snapped back into reality, and embarrassingly looked at her, his face overly ruddy.

"I apologize…I just couldn't help but observe how much more beautiful you are in person…"

She blushed a little at his statement, but quickly shook it off. "I appreciate the compliment, but that couldn't have been the reason you've come to see me."

"Oh no, of course not!" The soldier dusted himself off a bit, nervously laughing before speaking up once more.

"I just wanted to thank you and your mother personally…what you're doing is so brave and praiseworthy. Even though I'm the one fighting against him, I'd never have the guts to start the war against a man like King Shinji."

"Well, kind soldier, pray you understand that this isn't war yet. We're simply undergoing all safety precautions so that if war may break out, the people shall be protected. They have always been both my mother's and my first priority, and they will continue to be. I do thank you for approaching me personally and giving your appreciation. It certainly is a motivation."

She touched the soldier's shoulder. "I have much faith for you and the militia to protect these people…I believe I can trust you, do you think you can do it?"

He swallowed a huge lump back in his throat. "Yes Princess, I do!"

She nodded with a smile. "Excellent. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet my mother for dinner."

She walked passed him a little until he called for her.

"Princess!"

She turned back around to face the soldier who remained where he was standing. "Yes?"

"It's uh…such a nice night…would you mind maybe after you're finished dinner…taking a walk or something like that maybe?"

The Princess felt her face become red. Ever since Satoshi had died, he had been the only thing on her mind, and every possibility the two had together…gone. Unreachable.

"Soldier…" she breathed out.

"It's okay if you say no…I mean, you're the princess of the island it's not like you'd say yes I mean—"

"That sounds lovely. I haven't gotten to do so in a while." She smiled politely at the soldier.

"Really?! You mean it—ahem. I mean, that sounds great. I'll wait for you outside the castle."

"That won't be necessary. I'll have one of the butlers call for you at the end of my meal."

"Excellent. I'm looking forward to it."

The soldier calmly walked out in front of the Princess, bid her adieu, and walked out of the castle, the biggest grin on his face. When Hikari entered the dining hall, she also had a smile on her face.

Kengo seemed to be a very likable guy, and since he was a soldier, he could tell her about any plans they have to take down King Shinji's growing empire of horror.

"Please sit, Hikari." The Queen motioned toward the empty seat in front of her.

"With pleasure."

* * *

The young soldier named Kengo anxiously awaited Princess Hikari's arrival outside the castle, countlessly going over what to say to her. He had admired her from afar for quite some time now, and although he was a little older, he still found himself never able to take his eyes off her when she made public appearances. When the opportunity came to finally meet her, he couldn't deny it; even if it meant putting his life at stake.

After what seemed like centuries, the front door to the castle finally opened, and Hikari came out along with a butler. Kengo quickly made his posture straight and put on his best face for her.

"Thank you, I'll be fine on my own." The Princess guaranteed the butler. He nodded in obedience, and retreated back into the castle.

Kengo held out his arm. "Shall we?"

She took his arm with a smile. "Certainly."

The moonlight walk proved to be one of the more enjoyable things she's done in the past few months. They talked about the little delights in life, such as chocolate, and discussed deeper meanings to living, allowing Kengo to expose his thoughts of existentialism and the purpose of living.

"I believe we are put on this earth to help serve and protect others. If we weren't meant to do so, we'd each be put onto our own planets, where we were the sole ruler. True, others prove to be more of leaders than followers, and vice versa, but leaders should aid the followers as much as the followers give the leader support." Kengo ranted.

"That's brilliant, Kengo." Hikari commented.

They both looked up at the sky, admiring the stars as they twinkled across the dark night sky.

"You know, this situation with Shinji could take so many turns." Hikari began, continuing to look up at the sky.

"That's the thing we're all afraid of the most." Kengo replied, looking at the sky as well.

"As much as I try to deny it, he knows how to manipulate people and make things work to his benefit. He's a real psychopath…but…he almost seems indomitable."

"He very well could be…but Princess, you can't stop trying to conquer him. Who knows, he might be a total weakling behind all of his Pokemon and whatnot. You never know until you get in there, and I think we can." Kengo said.

"You're right." Hikari firmly nodded. "We just have to believe that we can do it."

"I should be taking you back now." He took her arm and started leading her back to the castle.

"I do appreciate this, sir. I must say it's been quite a long time since I've felt this safe and relaxed." She said, continuing to look at the sky.

"Well you're most certainly welcome, Princess. I'd be delighted to do it again."

Kengo appeared to be so awkward and clumsy around her at first, but he proved himself to be quite the intellectual with inspiring ideas about the world and how we should truly live life to the fullest. He was certainly a lively character, and she was glad to have him as a part of the militia. Perhaps his happy-go-lucky spirit would keep the army going and willing to fight against any evil that would face them.

When they reached the castle gate's entrance, Kengo carefully took Hikari's hand, bent over, and kissed the top of it. Hikari was surprised at how chivalrous he was being, and thanked him once more before entering the castle.

She couldn't help but smile on the entire walk back to her room, and slept more soundly that night then ever before.

* * *

Hikari woke up to the bright sun that shone through the large windows in her room. She stretched her arms into the air, and put her slippers on to go perform her morning ritual of cleansing. After her hair was brushed and her face was washed, she ran down to the dining hall to fetch some breakfast before taking Rapidash out for a ride. Before she opened the door to the hall, she heard a bloodcurdling scream come from the room.

It was her mother's.

"MOTHER!" She screamed out, pushing the door open with brute force.

Hikari caught sight of her mother, whom was ferociously shaking, her eyes wide with fear and full of tears.

"Mother! What has happened?"

Her mother failed to respond. Hikari ran over to her mother and tried to comfort her by patting her back and helping her to her feet.

"Mother, speak to me! What has overcome you?" Hikari pressed, lightly shaking her mother's shoulders.

Not speaking a word, the Queen slowly rose a quivering finger up to the ceiling. Hikari followed to where her mother was pointing, and saw a familiar soldier dangling from the chandelier by a tough rope that was tightly secured around his snapped neck.

"K…K…Kengo?" Hikari spit out, hugging her mother while staring at the body that eerily hung above the table where the two had eaten so many meals, and had many life-changing discussions.

The Queen tried to gather herself together, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that there was something in the soldier's pocket.

"Hikari…in his pocket…" she muttered, pointing once more.

Hikari drew her gaze and saw there was a white piece of paper in the pocket; she felt her heart drop to the ground.

Carefully setting her mother into a chair to regain her stature, Hikari got on top of the table, and holding back anything that could come up in her throat, she quickly tore the note out of the pocket of the once-friendly soldier, and went back down to the ground.

"Mother…do you wish to read it?"

The Queen did not respond. She looked away from her daughter at the ground, trying to hide any look of panic. Hikari looked back down at the note, and slowly began to unfold it, not wanting to see what was written by the maniacal mind that committed this murder.

_Don't worry your little hearts too much, highnesses. It's not like he was a significant to your little army. I'd just like to let you know that I do not find this a threat in my plans, rather, you're just making it easier for me. Don't think that you can outsmart me in this mayhem. You're the puppets, and I'm the puppet master; even if I don't command it, you go about it in the way I assumed you would. _

_Anyway, I digress._

_Despite the fact that you are reacting the way I presumed, and hoped you would, you still have not given me what I wanted, and I admit, that saddens me a little. _

_I hope you view this as a favor. He was of no purpose to you whatsoever. He was holding both you and I back. _

_Don't hesitate to react to this. Just know that I'm two steps ahead of you._

_Always. _

_Regards._

* * *

_Hi!_

It's been so long y'all ^_^

I feel I'm always apologizing for taking forever to update, which is certainly appropriate...since I hardly ever update as frequently as I used to...assuming I used to update frequently.

Ugh. School has been really tough lately. I've been fighting through some bad stuff that's been going on there, bad drama with some of my best friends, and of course, the academics themselves.

On brighter notes, my boyfriend and I are still together after two long years. :) Yay :)

But anyway...I like the idea of this story, but I feel like it isn't going to be terribly long. I wish it would be, but I feel like it's moving pretty fast, and it'll make it's way to a fast, unexpected end.

This time has allowed me to think through what I want to happen with these stories. That's a problem I have...I tend to rush stories when I get a good idea, and I don't want that to happen with any of these stories.

But yeah, I'm still alive...and I hope you liked this chapter! :)

Thanks~

Im-A-Horror-Freak


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